Organisational stakeholders are increasingly interested in introducing work-family balance policies in their organisations. Evidence now links work-family imbalance to reduced health and well-being among individuals and families. Family-friendly policies in the workplace are linked to improved organisational outcomes in employee turnover and organisational citizenship behaviour. Work-family balance has become an important part of developing of new HRM policies, programs, or systems.

The research presented in six articles in this special issue of the Journal of Management and Organisation contributes useful information to both practitioners engaged in implementing work-family balance initiatives and to work-family balance researchers engaged in extending the frontiers of knowledge within this dynamic topic.

Achieving a good balance between work and family commitments is a growing concern for contemporary employees and organisations. There is now mounting evidence linking work-life imbalance to reduced health and well-being among individuals and families. It is not surprising then that there is increasing interest among organisational stakeholders (eg CEOs, HR directors) for introducing work-life balance policies in their organisations. The purpose of this book is to bring together current scholarship on theoretical and practice issues surrounding the ‘achievement of work-life balance' in organisations.

Work-family balance is emerging as a key strategic element in the human resource management (HRM) policies of successful organisations for attracting and retaining talented staff and for demonstrating the bottom-line impact of HRM programs for work-family balance. Other factors likely to increase the interest in work-family balance programs is the growing participation of women in the work-force and the anticipated worldwide shortage of skilled labour.  less